Sockers' Troy McKerrell goes up for a header against the Tulsa Athletics on Wednesday, May 13, 2015 at Grande Communications Stadium. James Durbin/Reporter-Telegram

Sockers' Troy McKerrell goes up for a header against the Tulsa Athletics on Wednesday, May 13, 2015 at Grande Communications Stadium. James Durbin/Reporter-Telegram

Photo: James Durbin

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Sockers' Tucker Hume moves the ball against the Tulsa Athletics on Wednesday, May 13, 2015 at Grande Communications Stadium. James Durbin/Reporter-Telegram

Sockers' Tucker Hume moves the ball against the Tulsa Athletics on Wednesday, May 13, 2015 at Grande Communications Stadium. James Durbin/Reporter-Telegram

Photo: James Durbin

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Sockers knock off Tulsa Athletics for first win of season

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It might be tempting to assume that a soccer team with an almost entirely new roster and just a handful of practices could be a bit sluggish to start the season.

But neither of those things seemed to deter the Sockers FC in its first game of the season.

Rather, the Sockers rolled to a 3-1 win against the Tulsa Athletics of the National Premier Soccer League, in the first round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, Wednesday at Grande Communications Stadium.

With the victory, the Sockers (1-0-0) advanced to the second round of the U.S. Open Cup where they will face the Oklahoma City Energy FC, a club from the professional United Soccer League. That match is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. May 20 at Grande Communications Stadium.

“I was really impressed with the way we played,” Sockers head coach Matt Barnes said. “We’re probably the only PDL (Premier Development League) team in the entire United States that started our season on Monday. When you’re in Midland, it’s just so hard geographically to get the kids you need and get them on the same page. It was a real testament to these boys and the preparation they put in when they got here.”

Over the first five minutes, Tulsa (0-1-0) looked to be the team in control, using a quick pace that pushed the ball hard down the field.

But the Sockers drew first blood, when 6-foot-5 defender Walker Hume showed awareness and followed up on a prime scoring chance. From about 25 yards out, he ripped a low shot that found the bottom right corner of the goal to give the Sockers a 1-0 advantage in the 16th minute.

For Hume, it was a nice feeling to get the team’s first goal of the year.

“It was exciting just to get the season started with a goal, especially from a defender,” Hume said. “It just shows that we can score in many different ways.”

In the 36th minute, Walker Hume’s twin brother Tucker set up midfielder Andrew Lopez with a sneaky pass that drew the Tulsa keeper out of his box. Immediately off of the touch, Lopez tapped the ball into a wide open net to give his team a 2-0 lead.

The Sockers dominated possession for most of the first half, but things began to level out in the second half.

In the 75th minute, Tulsa found an answer on Jork Suhnoka’s strike from about 30 yards out that nested in the upper left corner. That cut the Sockers’ lead to 2-1, but midfielder Scott Smith put the game away with a tally in the 85th minute from six yards out that deflected off a Tulsa defender and in.

Tucker Hume said he was also pleased with his team’s performance despite several new players having to get accustomed to each other only in the last couple of days.

“Coming out here and getting three goals and allowing one was a good performance,” Hume said. “I thought it was an overall good effort from the team, a good starting point.”